"Tea" Party at Grandma's House

The kids like to have tea parties at Grandma's house. However, there is no tea involved... it's chocolate milk. :)
Two different times this has happened, the first with cookies, the second with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Gotta love Grandma's house!
:)

Memories of childhood

My mom used to play these songs for me, Cindy and Carey to dance to when we were little. It's so fun to do this now with my kids! :)

You've got a friend in me!

James received a few fabulous birthday gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Wilcke for his birthday. One of them was a snorkel set (which he has been bothering me to use in the pool already), and the other was the complete Toy Story gang. Woody, Bullseye, Jessie, Buzz, Rex, etc., everyone. Such a great gift! When we went to the movie on James' birthday, the girl behind the ticket counter gave James a set of 4 collectible something-or-other paper books about Toy Story that has a list of character toys in them. He has been checking the box by the ones he wants next. Silly boy. He tells me some of the details from the movie, which I am surprised that he remembers.
James came up to me yesterday and asked me if we could write his name on the bottom of Woody's shoe. I told him we could write it on them all. He was VERY excited. :)

Seiza!

James is taking Karate. We started going to The Dogo in Baldwin Park after it was suggested to us by some of my closest friends. He really is enjoying it, and Sensei Adam is fantastic! He is so great with the kids, is fun, tells jokes and entertains them as well as teaches them.
James really wants to wear the green belt (since it's his favorite color), but he has a few years to learn before he'd have that privilege.
James really likes to learn the new kicks, and usually is the loudest in the class when Sensei Adam has them respond. In fact, sometimes he's the only one to respond. In such an instance, the word seiza (sounds like say-zol when Adam says it) means to sit on your knees. Most of the time, after Sensei Adam yells, "Seiza!" the rest of us hear one voice yell, "ZA!"
Get it? Say-za! ZA!!! ;)
We look forward to going to Karate twice a week now, that is, if we don't forget to go. Ha.

James' 5th Birthday Part 2

We had a very successful party today for James! We had some friends over for cake and ice cream and then we went over to Monkey Joe's (a very large place full of bounce houses and games). Then we came home and had pizza with the family and then present time.
This is James in the box that Grandma and Grandpa Wilcke sent from Iowa. You can't get any better than packing peanuts. ;)
Mom has more photos from the party so I'll be posting hers when I get them.


... and the CAKE! He wanted a Darth Vader cake, so we put some action figures on it, a mask, some storm trooper and Vader rings and candles to make a 5 (although it's hard to see that).




Here is the video of James blowing out his candles... which were a LITTLE bit too close together. :) We removed the mask before the song for fear of it lighting on fire or melting. HA!

Happy 5th Birthday, James!

I love my son. Five years ago, when he was born, I became a mother. I never knew I could love a human being so much, and to now have two, beautiful, healthy children, I feel spoiled by God. Thank you Lord, for this blessing of being a mother.
James has had a wonderful birthday today. We started out the day with pancakes with M&Ms, a new tradition we started a few years ago. We went to swimming lessons with Mrs. Holly, and then James got to watch Nathan play Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii (his favorite thing ever). We went to see Toy Story 3 this afternoon, which scared the living daylights out of both children. It scared Kaitlyn so much I literally had to take her out of the theater twice. Poor thing. Even though James was horrified during the movie, afterward he claimed that it was GREAT!
Then we headed over to James' favorite restaurant, Steak and Shake. He had a hot dog and fries, but no shake. That was tough. We had told him that since I had made dessert here at home, that we had to skip the shakes.
After we got home, he opened his presents. He was totally exited about all of this new stuff: a Storm Trooper helmet, a soccer ball, a helmet for riding his bike, monster trucks, a new Toy Story game called Kerplunk, a Green Eggs and Ham puzzle, and new diving rings jut like Mrs. Holly has at her pool. He was most excited about the Strom Trooper Helmet and the diving rings. "WOW! Thanks!" He said about the rings. Had we known, we could have just spent $2.99 at Publix and called it a day. :)
James loves Oreos. He tries to find a way to have them for dessert at least a few times a week, although we never really give in. Maybe sometimes. ;) So, I made him an Oreo Ice Cream pie for dessert. It's a layer of Oreo cookie crust, then the Oreo ice cream, and then I topped it with a chocolate candy shell layer and then Cool Whip. When he was eating it, he said, "I like it, but I will eat it when I'm older." In other words, "I don't like it, but I like the ice cream." :( Oh well... the cake we plan on having on Saturday for his party will be good ol' chocolate. I'm going to attempt to make a fondant cake with Darth Vader on it... somehow.
The highlight of the day for me was when James blew out his candles (see video at end). I told him to make a wish. After he blew them out he said, "I wished that I could be with you guys FOREVER."
I love you James, Happy Birthday my sweet 5 year old!

Batman James showing off his flashlight in his Batman shades.

Steak and Shake!

Presents!

Year in Review: Artwork

Here are the highlights of this year's school art work. Enjoy. Definitely read them. :) Hilarious!

This is James, in Spanish. :)

Sweet Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn has started realizing that she can tell someone she loves them at any point in time, whenever the spirit moves her. At totally random points during the day she'll look at me, grinning from ear to ear, and slowly say, "I love you, Mom." Then she gives me a hug and sometimes even a big fat kiss on the lips.
I have tried, very hard, to always stop what I'm doing and let her express this to me with my undivided attention. What a sweetie!

Summer is here!

Well the kids have been taking swimming lessons for the last three weeks. Our routine in the morning revolves around waking up, eating breakfast, going to swim lessons and then to the Y so I can exercise. It's been a great routine!
I have started with a personal trainer that trains out of her house, so that has replaced the Y on some days at this point. However, I will still be going to the Y on the days I don't train with Jacqueline. I am trying to get into Yoga, I think I MAY need the breathing and stress reduction- MAYBE.
James is doing an awesome job swimming with Miss Holly. He is learning quickly, but still apprehensive when floating or jumping to her in the deep end. He loves his (green) goggles, and is a good sport. One day he actually surprised me and asked to go first (we alternate who HAS TO go first), and today, when Kaitlyn was swimming, he told me that he really wanted his turn to start. That's great, sounds like it'll be promising that he'll like the pool. ;)
Kaitlyn, on the other hand, has reverted to crying the entire lesson and pitifully calling out for me. "I want MOMMY!" Or she calls out for Miss Holly repeatedly. It's gut wrenching. However, the lessons keep on going, and I know something will click in little Miss Kaitlyn's head that swimming is actually FUN... someday. That's what happened with Kaitlyn when she was in Safe Start. She cried for the first 3 weeks and then by the end she never wanted to get OUT of the pool. Poor Miss Holly- she just can't seem to get Kaitlyn to put her face DOWN in the water very long. We both keep trying to explain to her that if she puts her head down in the water instead of craning her neck up, that she'll swim easier and faster. She's 3. What can I say?
SO... we have one more week of lessons, and then I think we'll give it a rest. Unless, of course, Kaitlyn makes a complete 180 in her attitude toward swimming. We'll see.

In other news... I'm going nuts with these kids around here all day long. ;)

Memorial Day weekend

Lots of beach photos lately, and guess what... here are more! Including lots of first-ever things....

James' first ever Slurpee!

Kaitlyn's first ever Slurpee, too! Mmmm, with Doritos!

Kaitlyn's first ever French braid.

James' first ever time wearing fuchsia! That's Grandma's jacket. :)

Kaitlyn's going to be a gymnast.

Ready... steady...

JUMP!